Apparatus for automatically filling and sealing tubular packing material



Feb. 6, 1968 H. s. v. JARUND 3,367,087

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY FILLING AND SEALING TUBULAR PACKING MATERIALFiled June 18, 1965 United States Patent O 3,367,087 APPARATUS F011AUTOlt EATICALLY FILL- EJG AND SEALHNG TUBULAR PACKING MATERHAL HarrySigurd Vaidernar .lalrund, 18 Utto Liudbladsvagen, Lund, Sweden FiledJune 18, 1965, Ser. No. 464,983 Claims priority, appiication Sweden,June 22, 1964, 7,562/64 Qlaims. (Cl. 53-188) ABSTRACT 91* THE DISCLQSUREA packaging conveyor carrying a continuous band which connects pocketshaving a leading closed end and a trailing open end. A stream of airdirected against the open end inflates the pocket for insertion ofgoods, and the inserted goods actuate the starting switch of theconveyor. When the trailing end reaches a sealing station, the closedend actuates a switch which stops the conveyor and energies deflectorswhich move the sealed pocket laterally of the conveyor, thereby tearingit from the next pocket which is laterally secured by guide plates.

The present invention relates to filling, separating, and sealing ofpacking spaces or pockets situated successively after each other in atube and being individually attached to each other, and moreparticularly to improved apparatus wherein the tube is fed by means ofan endless conveyor band on a support and the opening of one packingspace or pocket at a time is effected, whereupon the goods to be packedare inserted in the opening thus formed and then the filled packingspaces are successively separated from the tube and sealed.

Heretofore, filled packing spaces of such a tube or bag band have beentorn oif from each other and have then been sealed in a known manner.Even though the packing spaces, due to the special shape of the bagband, could be filled in a continuous working operation, it has beenimpossible to take advantage of the time thus gained because it has notbeen possible to effect automatic sealing and separation of each packingspace.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide apparatuswhich overcomes the prior diiiiculties and disadvantages.

Another object is to provide such apparatus which lends itself toautomatic operation.

Still another object is to provide such apparatus which has a highproduction rate.

A further object is to provide such apparatus which is simple andeconomical in construction and is reliable in operation.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects which willhereinafter appear, my invention consists in the apparatus elements andtheir relation one to the other, as hereinafter are more particularlydescribed in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects aregenerally accomplished by apparatus including conveyor means for movingthe tubular material or bag band in its lengthwise direction, means forsuccessively opening the packing spaces to enable goods to be insertedtherein, a sealing station downstream of the opening means and adjacentone side of the conveyor means, means at the upstream side of thesealing station for holding a filled packing space, and means at thedownstream side of the sealing station for engaging a filled packingspace in advance of and connected to the packing space being held, andfor moving the engaged packing effect detachment of the two packingspaces and to present the leading packing space to the sealing station.

3,367,687 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 According to a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, automation of the sealing and separation of each packingspace may be attained whereby the actually filled packing space by meansof a switch starts a driving roller for the conveyor so that at leastone previously filled packing space on the conveyor is conveyed to thesealing station and via driving rollers is situated along the length ofthe conveyor. This packing space engages a switch which temporarilystops the feeding movement of the conveyor whereupon the packing spaceor pocket situated at the sealing station, by means of members arrangeddisplaceably between said driving rollers, is moved in lateral directionand is torn off from the bag band.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of preferred apparatus for carrying out thepresent invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a detail of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1.

The conveyor of the invention has a frame 20 on which a support 21 risesupwardly from a storage container 22 and then slopes obliquely downwardtoward a horizontal conveyor belt 9 trained over rollers 8. A band 3 isdrawn from the container 22 over the support 21 when the conveyor belt 9moves. The band integrally connects pockets 2 which are elongatedlongitudinally of the band and constitute packing spaces having each atrailing open end 4- and a leading closed end 5.

A blower 1 discharges air against the open end 4 of each pocket 2 whenthe end 4 is located at the highest point of the support 21, therebyinflating the pocket for insertion of goods 6a. The inserted goodsstrike the actuating arm of a switch 7 near the bottom end of thesloping portion of the support 21.

The switch 7 is an element of the drive mechanism for the belt 9 whichalso includes the rollers 8 and is not otherwise shown. Engagement ofthe switch 7 by the inserted goods starts movement of the conveyor belt9.

The conveyor belt 9 extends the lower end of the sloping portion of thesupport 21 to a sealing station 10, more fully described in mysimultaneously filed application Ser. No. 464,984, now abandoned. Whilesupported on the belt a pocket 2 filled with goods 6a is laterallysecured by guide plates 15, and is held down on the belt by an arm 14.

Spaced rollers 11, connected to the drive of the rollers S in anon-illustrated manner, lead horizontally from the sealing station 11)to a switch 12, and accommodate a pocket filled with goods 6c in such amanner that the trailing end of the pocket is in the sealing station 10when the leading closed end strikes the actuating arm of the switch 12.The switch 12, when engaged, stops the drive of the rollers 8, 11.

Deflector rods 13 project upwardly between the rollers 11 in a row. Theyare mechanically connected to each other and to an electrically operatedactuator, not shown in detail, and operated by the switch 12. Theactuator moves the rods axially of the rollers 11 from the positionshown in FIG. 1 to that illustrated in FIG. 2 when the switch isactuated.

A clamping member 16 movably mounted on the frame 20 normally clamps theband 3 against the sup port 21. It is electrically operated in a mannernot further illustrated to release the band 3 when the switch 8 isactuated to start the rollers b, 11.

The afore-described apparatus operates as follows:

Starting from the position illustrated in which three pockets 2respectively stand ready to receive the goods 6a and hold the goods 6band 6c, the goods 6a are inserted into the pocket 2 on the slopingportion of the support 21. As the inserted material strokes the switch7, the clamping member 16 is released, and the rollers 8, 11

are started to move the goods 6b from the position shown in FIG. 2through the sealing station 10 and into engagement with the switch 12while the goods 6a and the enveloping pocket 2 are drawn into thechannel defined by the belt 9 and the guide elements 14, 15.

As the leading end of the pocket holding the goods 6b strikes the switch12, the clamping member 16 is applied to the tape 3 to arrest the samewhile the rollers 8, 11 are being stopped. Simultaneously, the sealingstation 10 seals the trialing end of the pocket in the station by tyingit with a sealing band in a manner more fully disclosed in theafore-mentioned application. The rods 13 move laterally between therollers 11 to shift the newly sealed pocket and its contents laterallyinto the position shown in FIG. 2., thereby tearing the band 3 which sofar connected the sealed pocket to the next pocket secured againstlateral movement between the guide plates 14, 15.

A sealed pocket shifted laterally in a precious operation, as shown inFIG. 1, is discharged by the lateral movement of the next sealed pocket.

The electrical circuits and networks of the conveyor drive and somemechanical components thereof have not been shown because such detailsare within the ordinary skill of a person familiar with the art.

This invention has been described for purposes of illustration only andis not intended to be limited by this description. Instead, many changesand modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for filling, separating and sealing tubular materialprovided with packing spaces or pockets arranged successfully in thelengthwise direction and being detachably connected, conveyor means forfeeding the material in the lengthwise direction, means for successivelyopening the packing spaces to enable goods to be inserted therein, asealing station downstream of said opening means and adjacent one sideof said conveyor means, means at the upstream side of said sealingstation for holding a filled packing space, and means at the downstreamside of said sealing station for engaging a filled packing space inadvance of and connected to the packing space being held and for movingthe engaged packing space laterally with respect to the held packingspace to effect detachment of the two packing spaces and to present theleading packing space to said sealing station.

2. In apparatus according to claim 1, where said opening means is ablower for inflation the packing spaces.

3. In apparatus according to claim 1, including first switch means forstarting said conveyor means when engaged by the leading end of a filledpacking space, and

second switch means for stopping said conveyor means when engaged by theleading end of the packing space downstream of the sealing station.

4. In apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said holding means andsaid means for laterally moving the packing space downstream of thesealing station are rendered etTective by said second switch means.

5.In apparatus according to claim 3, including means for clamping thetubular material upstream of the packing space being opened, saidclamping means being rendered. effective by said first switch means.

6. In apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said holding meansincludes a top member and a pair of side members for engaging the filledpacking space upstream of the sealing station.

7. In apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said last mentioned meansinclude a plurality of rollers for supporting the leading filled packingspace, and a pluraity of members for engaging the packing space eachpositioned in and extending through a space between adjacent rollers andbeing movable in the space in a lateral direction.

8. In apparatus for separating and sealing filled packing spacesarranged successively in the lengthwise direction and being detachablyconnected, a sealing station, means at the upstream side of said sealingstation for holding a filled packing space, and means at the downstreamside of said sealing station for engaging a filled packing space inadvance of the packing space being held and for moving the engagedpacking space laterally with respect to the held packing space to efiectdetachment of the two packing spaces and to present the leading packingspace to said sealing station.

9. In apparatus according to claim 8, including switch means engaged bythe leading end of the leading packing space for controlling operationof said last mentioned means.

19. In apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said last mentioned meansinclude a plurality of rollers for supporting the leading filled packingspace, and a plurality of members for engaging the packing space eachpositioned in and extending through a space between adjacent rollers andbeing movable in the space in a lateral direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,254,468 6/1966 Lerner 53385 XFOREIGN PATENTS 222,038 6/1962 Austria.

GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner.

